Western Sahara Action Forum

About Us

Western Sahara Action Forum (WSAF) is an international advocacy organization focused on Western Sahara. WSAF advocates for the United Nations to live up to its legal and moral obligations to implement a human rights monitoring mechanism in its mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO). WSAF also advocates for the UN to enable MINURSO to organize and implement a free and fair referendum in Western Sahara. Working with a range of governments, NGOs, trade unions, and human rights defenders, WSAF leads international campaigns and lobbying efforts, and provides information and resources for activists and policymakers around the world.

Campaigning

Informing

Read articles, reports, books, and news updates on human rights and the referendum in Western Sahara.

The Campaign

WSAF works year-round to raise awareness and push for action on human rights and the referendum in Western Sahara.

Each year, much of WSAF’s work focuses on the mandate of MINURSO, the UN mission for the referendum in Western Sahara.

At the end of April each year, the UN Security Council convenes to discuss the MINURSO mandate, and to decide whether to renew the mandate. For several years, the mandate has been renewed without a human rights monitoring mechanism being added. Until a free and fair referendum is carried out in Western Sahara, WSAF will continue to advocate for human rights monitoring to be included in the MINURSO mandate. Human rights abuses are regularly reported from Western Sahara. This includes violations of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, the right to a fair trial, the right to an education, freedom from torture, and, of course, the right to self-determination. WSAF does not have a position with regards to the outcome of a referendum, only that the process should be free and fair. This means that independence must be an option for those deemed eligible to vote by the UN. Read on for resources, and to learn more about the WSAF campaign

Latest news

Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara is all about the money. Morocco benefits economically from its occupation of Western Sahara by plundering the natural resources of the territory; resources that could enable the rightful owners of the land, the Saharawi, to support all of their people. The natural resources Morocco is plundering from Western Sahara include: Read more about All about the money: Morocco’s plundering of Western Sahara[…]

Since 2012, our partners Adala UK have been reporting on the unfair trials of Saharawis, detained for exercising their freedom of expression with regard their right to self-determination. The list of human rights abuses in relation to unfair trials and imprisonment is a long one for the Saharawis living under Moroccan occupation: trials in military Read more about Moroccan miscarriages of justice: unfair trials for Saharawis[…]

Over the last few years the number of international independent human rights observers that Morocco has expelled from the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara has been rapidly increasing. Adala UK and the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara have reported on this a number of times recently. Adala UK reports that the number of observers expelled Read more about Morocco continues arbitrary expulsions of international observers[…]

Progress towards a political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara remains deadlocked. For the Saharawi, the day-to-day grim reality of stalemate persists. All continue to be denied the right to self-determination which the UN ceasefire agreement promised them some 26 years ago. Morocco continues its efforts to gain economically from the occupation of the Read more about Briefing 2018: We can break the deadlock[…]

Moroccan attempts to profit from the natural resources of Western Sahara received a major setback in the Court of Justice of the European Union in December 2016. The ruling recognises that Western Sahara has a “separate and distinct status” from Morocco; and therefore that the EU-Morocco trade liberalisation agreement is not applicable to trade involving Read more about Briefing 2017: Natural Resources[…]

Despite shifting sands at international level, for the Saharawi people, the day-to- day grim reality of stalemate persists. All continue to be denied the right to self-determination which the UN ceasefire agreement promised them some 26 years ago. Those living under Moroccan rule in the occupied portion of Western Sahara suffer repression of their freedom Read more about Briefing 2017: Human Rights[…]

Several developments over the last year have weakened Morocco’s political position regarding its occupation of Western Sahara. These give hope that, with continued pressure, progress towards a settlement of the conflict may be made. Moroccan provocation As has been widely reported, in August 2016, Morocco risked reigniting the armed conflict by sending its security forces Read more about Briefing 2017: Cracks Opening in Morocco’s position[…]

The following letter was sent to the members of the UN Security Council on behalf of Saharawi civil society organizations – both in the refugee camps and occupied territory – as well as international activist groups and NGOs. On behalf of Saharawi civil society organizations – both in the refugee camps and occupied territory – Read more about Open letter to UN Security Council members[…]

WSAF is very concerned about the health of 17 Sahrawi university students currently on hunger strike in the Moroccan prison of Oudaya. The 17 are amongst a group of Saharawi students arrested on 29 January after participating in education protests in Agadir and Marrakech. The Moroccan authorities have accused the students of the murder of Read more about WSAF stands in solidarity with imprisoned Sahrawi hunger strikers[…]

The UN Security Council will start debating MINURSO on Tuesday before the vote on Thursday. It’s time for one final push! If you haven’t done already please email and/or phone the UNSC members. We understand phone calls in particular really make an impression on the UNSC. Contacts are available here. The Secretary General’s report makes Read more about UN debate MINURSO this week[…]